Family
by larissan
Summary: Follow up to Faded. As everyone adjusts to their new roles, someone very familiar comes to town – Drusilla.
1. Default Chapter

Note – this is a follow up to "Faded," in which Angel, Spike, and Illyria survive the battle begun in the episode Not Fade Away with a little help from Buffy and the Slayers. Faith stays behind to help Angel in case the Senior Partners are still coming after him, as does the Slayer Caitlin, who has inherited the visions. Reluctantly, Angel agreed to let Connor help as well, as long as he stays away from fighting.  
  
"I wonder why they call them 'Nerds,'" Caitlin Harris said, holding a small pink piece up candy up in front of her.  
"It's one of the great mysteries of the universe." Replied her companion.  
"See, that's what's wrong with my life." She said, still contemplating the tiny misshapen lump of sugar. "I'm stuck in an office, reading and rereading the same incomprehensible writings of eighth century monks who may or may not be referring to the Senior Partners when they talk about how evil the wolf is, when I could be solving real mysteries, like Nerds."  
"And Spree. I've always wondered about Spree."  
She looked at Connor with new respect. For the last few weeks she'd spent a considerable amount of time with him, as well as Angel, Faith, and Spike, and she'd never heard him say anything to hint a sarcastic side. He was always polite, hard working, and perpetually in a good mood, but he was usually really quiet. Of course, this was the first time she had been alone with him. She thought he was a little intimidated by Faith.  
"Spree, huh?"  
"Oh, yeah. It's an odd candy, you know? You could break your teeth on the coating if you bite it right away."  
"Really?"  
"Yep. Happened to a friend once."  
"That would be really embarrassing. Was it a purple Spree?"  
"Red."  
"Hmm." She opened her book back up, trying to get back into the reading. Not a minute later, she tossed the book aside. "This is stupid. I'm not a reader. I'm a fighter. We should be out patrolling."  
"Can't. Angel said no." He didn't even look up from his book as he spoke.  
"No, Angel said you can't go out. I offered to stay, but I'll lose it if I sit here any longer. Come on. Angel and Illyria are gonna be gone all night checking out the ruins of Wolfram and Hart. If Spike and Faith get back before we do, I'm sure they'll be cool."  
"No way. I don't want him mad at me. My dad's already freaking out because I quit my job at the coffee shop. I don't need two fathers on my case."  
She shuddered at the thought of two fathers. One had been bad enough. "Whatever. So what are we supposed to do? I'm not researching anymore. Do you think there's a tv around anywhere?"  
"Probably, but there's no cable."  
She stared at him. "Why not? Wasn't this place a hotel?"  
"Yeah, but that was before there was cable. And you try explaining to a guy who has been around two and a half century why MTV is a basic necessity."  
There had to be something the two of them could do, alone in this huge hotel. She looked him up and down. "Connor?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Let's fight." 


	2. Sparring

"W-W-What?" Connor sputtered.  
"Come on. I'm bored. I'm gonna end up out of shape, sitting around here all day and night, eating weird named candy and reading. I need some violence. And it's not like I'll kill you, so Angel can't object."  
"But you're a girl." He said stupidly.  
"Oh, you're going to pay for that." She snatched the book out of his hand. "Come on. You're supposed to have these super vampire powers. Don't you want to know if you could take me?" She walked out of the room, trusting him to follow. "We'll do it in the lobby. There's not a lot to break in there."  
Connor stared after her. Of all the things he had hoped might happen tonight when Angel announced it would just be the two of them, this wasn't one of them. He could not hit a girl, especially Caitlin.  
But he couldn't sit in here while she was waiting for him.  
In the lobby, Caitlin pushed the couch aside. She pulled off her flannel shirt and her t-shirt, leaving her in a black sports bra. She hoped he'd warm up to the idea – she missed sparring with the other Slayers.  
"I don't – where is your shirt?" He exclaimed.  
She rolled her eyes. "I don't want to get it caught on anything. Jesus, are you sure you can fight?"  
He came up to her. "Better than you."  
They stood there for a long while. Caitlin was practically bouncing out of her skin waiting. Finally, she groaned. "Are you going to throw the first punch?"  
"I can't. You're a girl."  
Another eye roll. "Good lord. You better not bruise easily." She hauled back and swung with her right fist.  
He didn't know if it was instinct or reflex, but he caught her hand easily. She twisted and swept her leg under his, knocking him off his feet. He dropped her hand and stumbled back, but managed to stay on his feet. He swung halfheartedly, and she ducked. She spun, aiming to kick him in the chest, but he caught her food, throwing her back. She easily spun, landing in a crouch. "Good." She said. "But you're holding back."  
She went on attack again and they fought in earnest with no noise except an occasional grunt, taking turns being on the offensive, feeling each other out. She had him pushed back against the wall of the stairway when he jumped, grabbed the rail and hauled himself up, twisting and landing on the stairwell. She walked backwards a few steps so she could see him. "Nice. Don't you ever attack? Or do you just wait around for the demon to come at you?"  
He pulled off his shirt, ran his fingers through his hair, and walked up the stairs. "I attack. When I know it's to my advantage. I usually have a weapon, though." He stood at the railing overlooking the lobby.  
"Yeah, well, next time we'll break out some swords." Breathing hard, she turned away to get her shirt to wipe her face. "Come on down and-"  
He leapt over the rail, landing neatly behind her. He grabbed her arm and spun her to face him. "Don't you watch your back?"  
She looked up at him, surprised. They were both surprised by the sound of applause. Faith, Spike, and Angel stood in the doorway, Faith clapping. "Your kid has some good moves." She said to Angel.  
"So it seems." He replied mildly, watching the pair. "You two want to get your clothes on? Meet us in the office and I'll tell you what I found at the firm."  
Connor let go, ran up the stairs, grabbed his shirt, and ran into the office after Angel and Spike. Caitlin pulled on her t-shirt slowly, then slipped her arms in her flannel and began buttoning it. "Do you think Angel is mad?" she asked Faith in a whisper. "I know he doesn't want Connor fighting."  
"I don't think that's his problem," Faith said. "You might want to leave your shirt on next time you get all hot and sweaty with a guy."  
Caitlin's face was almost comical. "What? No, it wasn't like that." She glanced at the guys through the office window. "You don't think he thought I was – I - "  
"No, no. I'm just saying, as some advice."  
"Yeah, okay." She said, following Faith into the office. "I guess I'll be more careful." 


	3. Hiding

She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, going through a box of stuff her cousin had sent her from England when someone knocked. "Come in." she called.  
"Hey," Faith said. "What's up?"  
"Nothing. I went to the post office box today. There was a letter for you from Giles, and look – Xander sent my stuff."  
Faith leaned against a wall. "Yeah – I'd forgotten how many lumberjack shirts you have."  
The girl looked up, stuck her tongue out. "Whatever. We can't all run around in leather pants and sparkly tank tops."  
"Why not? If you got it, flaunt it." She pushed off the wall, poking around in the box. She pulled out a thick book. "Don't you get enough monsters in real life? Salem's Lot – what's that about?"  
"Vampires." Caitlin said with a grin. "I like it. It makes me feel like maybe some of the scarier stuff isn't real. Maybe I'm just stuck in a book or movie."  
"Uh huh." She threw the book on the bed. "I just wanted to tell you I'm going out tonight. Spike's got this bar he wants to show me. Like I've never seen a bar before."  
"Yeah. Okay. I was just going to hang out up here for a while."  
"What's that about?" Faith asked. "You haven't been around down there much the past few days."  
"I don't know. I've been tired. I was thinking – maybe I should get my own place, if I'm going to be here a while."  
"Yeah? With what money?" She shook her head. "I don't know kid. You should check with the boss. But enough hiding. At least come down until I leave."  
Caitlin couldn't think of a good reason not to, so she followed the older Slayer downstairs, where Angel, Spike, and Connor were going through the weapons. "There you are." Angel said. "Have either of you seen Illyria?"  
"No." Faith answered. "Saw her this morning, but as soon as it got dark, she took off."  
"I wonder where she's going." He mused.  
"Hi, there," Connor said to Caitlin as she came up to the pile of swords.  
Distracted, she muttered, "Hey," as she pulled an ax out of the pile. "Nice." She ran her finger just over the sharp edge, marveling over the detailing in the gilted handle.  
"We went back to Wolfram and Hart and grabbed Angel's weapons." Spike announced. "Checked out my flat, too, but the place was trashed."  
Faith grinned. "You gonna stand around all night polishing your sword? I thought you were going to show me a good time?"  
"Best time you've had in a while. Let's go."  
But he stopped dead five feet from the door. Connor tapped Caitlin's shoulder and she looked up from the broadsword she was currently admiring to see a woman standing in the doorway. She must be a vamp, Caitlin thought, since she was so pale. Her eyes were black, cold and hard. Her lips were blood red, matching the tight, low cut dress she wore, so long that it trailed behind her. She held out her hand to Spike, and with a little smile, said, "Hello, darling. Haven't you got a kiss for Mummy?" 


	4. Confrontation

"Drusilla." Spike said in a low, questioning voice.  
She came down the steps of the entryway, swaying as she walked. She lifted her hand to touch his cheek, then snatched her hand back as if burned. "What happened to my naughty boy?" She asked, disgustedly. "You're all ... clean." She shot Angel a furious glance, narrowing her eyes. "You. You've done this to him. You and that Slayer." She gaze slid over Caitlin, making the girl feel like something scaly skittered across her skin, and focusing on Connor. Intrigued, she pushed past Spike and floated over to the boy. She ran her hand in front of his face, not touching him. Eyes closed, she gave a little moan. "Mmmm. Look at the wonderful brother you've made for me." Her eyes flew open, startling Connor. "Maybe I'll give you a little kiss. Would you like that?"  
Angel shoved her away from his son, standing in front of him. "What are you doing here, Dru?"  
She made her way back to Spike. "Why, I came for my boy. A tiny ant told me he was here, causing all sorts of trouble for everything that crawls and slithers." She wrapped her hand around Spike's neck. "What do you say, love? I believe I can forgive you for getting yourself a shiny new soul. Let's you and I and Miss Edith go to India, or Prague. We always had such a good time there."  
"Dru, you almost died in India. And Prague." Spike reminded her patiently. He pulled away from her. "Not this time, pet. I don't think I'm up for a killing spree, not after all I've seen."  
"Well, I am," she said, punching him hard enough to send him flying back, then hitting Faith once for good measure as well. Before she could advance, before Faith could fight back, the vampire was raised in the air and sent flying, landing the doorway.  
Standing where Drusilla had just stood was Illyria. Illyria turned toward Drusilla and tipped her head a bit. "Insignificant vampire. You will not harm one whom I have chosen to protect. I will see you dead. I will tear your limbs from you one by one, burning each to a cinder before I feed them to you."  
Drusilla rose. "I don't understand. What is this creature?" She edged toward the door. "This isn't finished." She told them. "I will have my boys back, or I will kill them both." With that, she left, skirts swirling behind her. Jumping a little as if wakening, Faith ran to the door. "She's gone." Angel turned to study Connor. "You okay?" "Yeah. Who was that?" Caitlin stood, frowning. "That was a vampire, right? Why the hell didn't anyone stake her?"  
Faith rubbed her jaw, extending her other hand to Spike. "Seems the ex is a little deadlier than I was led to believe."  
"How's that?" Spike asked.  
"The way B and rest told it, she's gone in the head, thanks to Angel."  
"That makes her more dangerous, not less." Angel said. "We've got to go after her."  
"Agreed." Faith said, bending and picking up a crossbow from the pile on the floor."  
"How are we going to find her?" Connor said.  
"You're not." Angel told him. "You're not fighting her."  
"Uh, guys – "Caitlin said, closing her eyes and grabbing her head.  
"Sure I am. Angel, you need me. There's no way your going to track her in this huge city without help."  
"I have help. Two Slayers, Illyria, Spike. We'll find her, and you stay here where it's safe."  
Caitlin rose unsteadily. "I think I..."  
Faith spoke up. "Junior won't be safe by himself. Maybe one of us should stay with him."  
His mouth dropped open. "I do not need a babysitter."  
"GUYS!" Caitlin said loudly. "She's going after dinner. Two guys. The park, over off 64th and S. Lake. Hurry up, because I think she's going to turn them." 


	5. Comparing Notes

She shook out four ibuprofen and accepted the glass of water Connor held out. "Jesus," she groaned. "I have to find something stronger. I don't know how this works but it seems like they're getting worse."  
Connor sat next to her. "I'm just guessing, but they're coming more often, right?"  
She thought back, counting in her head. "I guess so. I had four before the one about the big fight, and I've had eight since I got here."  
"What do you see?"  
"I don't know how to describe it. It's like flashes of both sides. Like I'll see the person's face, and just kind of understand what the demon is thinking, and I'll see what happens, and names or places just kind of come to me." She laid her head back, closing her eyes. "It's so frustrating, because I want to go fight them, the demons, but it just leaves me wiped out." She sighed. "Well, enough about me and my hero complex. So that was Drusilla, huh? How does that work? Is she, like, your cousin or something?"  
"I wouldn't know. If anyone ever told me about her, I don't remember. Cordelia told me once, about the night I was born, and that my...mother, Darla, was the vamp that turned Angel."  
"Your father, he's a little overprotective?'  
"It's messed up." He complained, sullen for the first time she could think of. "I try not to think about things, you know. I mean, the stuff that happened in real life. It's so much easier to just remember the good stuff. Like, I remember toasting marshmallows around a campfire with my sister, showing her how to make s'mores. But then, I remember squatting around a fire with my – with Holtz, cooking some kind of beast on a spit, and it's like they overlap a little."  
"Sort of like my visions."  
"I guess. But that stuff did happen to me, and Angel acts like it didn't. Like I really was raised in the suburbs. I get so mad, but then I remember other stuff, things I did to Angel or said, and it's like I can't yell at him, because if I remind him of what really happened, he'll remember what I did."  
"Screw that." She said bluntly. "No matter what you did, you should tell him to back off when he gets like that."  
"You don't know."  
"Didn't he kill his own parents? Come on – you have the ultimate get out of jail card. No matter what you do, he did ten times worse as Angelus." She leaned forward. "Okay, listen. You guys should talk, and you should ask him questions, because all I know is second and third hand, stories and rumors. And stuff is missing, cause I didn't even know about you. But the run down is, the Master made Darla. Darla made your dad. Your dad made Drusilla, and as you could see, he did a bang up job. Drusilla made Spike. Then Angel killed a gypsy girl, pissed off her family, and they cursed him."  
"The soul."  
"Yep. So Angel wanders the earth doing God knows what, and ends up in Sunnydale. Meanwhile, Darla hooks up with the Master again, and Spike and Dru go on about their merry way. Here's where I lose some of the details. The Master and Darla are in Sunnydale, Angel kills Darla, Buffy kills the Master, then Spike and Dru show up 'cause Drusilla got messed up in a fight and there's some kind of vampire voodoo that healed her, but they needed her sire. Then Angel loses his soul 'cause he's so in life and all that, and Buffy ends up killing him, but not before the soul gets shoved back in. He comes back somehow, and comes to LA, your mother comes back somehow, they have you somehow, and you know the rest. As far as Spike and Dru, they break up because Spike's all in love with Buffy, then Spike goes off to get his soul. He dies, he comes back somehow, and now he and your dad are going to live happily ever after, but she's back and neither one of them got Buffy."  
"So...she's, like, my sister. And Spike is my nephew."  
"I guess."  
They sat there for a minute while he tried to take it all in. "That's a lot of somehows." He said finally.  
"You're telling me. Trying having to study all of this crap. One day I'll tell you about Slayers." 


	6. A Plan of Attack

Connor stood suddenly and started to pace. "Okay, so, I heard Fred and Gunn talking once, and they said Darla came back because of Wolfram and Hart." Caitlin scowled. "I'm not doing research." Impatiently, Connor held up his hand. "Shut up and let me finish. The witch – what's her name?" "Willow." "Okay, she put Angel's soul back when we were fighting...I hate when I can't remember!" He thought a minute. "The Beast. So, she put his soul back when Buffy killed him, right?" "I guess. That wasn't really covered in 'Major Vampire Players of the 20th Century.'" He froze. "Are you serious?" She laughed. "No, of course not. Kennedy isn't up to textbooks yet." She sobered. "I guess she won't ever be. Connor, sit down. You're making my headache worse." He sat but his he could hold still. "That's two of the somehows. What's left that we don't know?" "How Angel got back from Hell. How a vampire got pregnant. How Spike came back. And - what did Drusilla say about why she's here? A little ant told her? What does that mean?" "Wait – I need to write this down." He went into the office and grabbed a notebook from the desk and started scribbling. "We've got one more somehow. It's, um, Cordelia." "Cordelia who died?" "Yeah. She disappeared for a while, and when she came back, she was different. We didn't know it, but she was under the control of something." "Where'd she go, and how'd she get back?" "That's the somehow. I'll have to ask my dad if there's anything else he can remember that doesn't add up, or if he has explanations for any of these things." "Cool. I'm curious. But, Connor, why?" "Why what?" "Why do we care?" she said, not getting why he was so excited. "Because - look, the biggest somehow that we have is why did an evil law firm want a vampire with a soul, a good guy, to run their company? That's the question we have to answer to figure out what they are going to do next. What was their plan, how far did they go to make it happen, and how far are they still willing to go?" "Yeah, but if any of this was important, why wouldn't Angel, or that guy Wesley, or anyone else have figured it out?" "I told you before, Wesley didn't remember anything about me. And maybe Angel was too close to it. Before they get back, you should call Giles. Ask him to look in to how I was born, and ask him if they ever figured out why Angel came back form Hell. We've got to be ready when the old guy gets here, so he can't duck out of any questions." His face hardened, and now more than ever Caitlin could see his resemblance to his father. "No more secrets." He said tightly. 


	7. Disunion

They cut it close coming back, the sun fairly nipping at the heels of the two vampires. Faith was tired, weary down to the marrow in her bones, and was looking forward to a hot shower and a long nap, after which she was going to grab the younger Slayer and head back out.  
They'd been too late. A debate had broken out as to whether they should wait for the two men to rise as vampires, or solve the problem now. Maybe debate wasn't the right way to put it – Illyria had stood with her hands around the neck of one of the men, ready to snap his neck off, as the other three tried to explain to her that they couldn't decapitate the body if he hadn't been turned. Illyria had been livid, to put it mildly, saying if the men hadn't been turned, they had a faulty seer. It had taken almost an hour to talk her into putting the nice man down, and not to return to the hotel and kill Caitlin instead. By then, the trail had been cold. Still, they'd searched any place Angel or Spike could think of where Drusilla might be staying, with no luck. From what Angel had said, though, the last time she'd been in town had been because of Wolfram and Hart, so Faith had a good idea of where to search next.  
Illyria vanished as soon as they entered the hotel. Faith still hadn't figured out which room the strange demon had claimed as hers, but as long as it wasn't near her own, she didn't care. The vampires threw their weapons into the pile still lying on the floor, grumbling about necrotempered windows, whatever that meant. They could see Connor in the office, nose in a book, so they headed that way. Entering the office, they noticed Caitlin asleep on the couch that had been pulled into the room. At least the kid wasn't hiding in her room anymore. Faith didn't know if it was a great idea for Caitlin to get too close to the boy, but she couldn't avoid him either.  
Connor looked up as they approached. "You and I need to talk, Dad." He said. Faith was a little surprised to hear him say "Dad." In the beginning, Angel had briefly filled everyone in on the memory swap, glossing over most of the details, but letting everyone know, yes, Connor was his kid, but he had a separate life and other parents. She hadn't heard the boy mention it since.  
"Sure. Don't you have classes today?" Angel said, settling into one of the large chairs facing the desk.  
"I'm skipping them. Something came up."  
"Connor-"  
Faith wasn't really in the mood to watch a heart to heart, so she broke in. "Do I need to be here for this?"  
"No." Connor said. "If we figure out anything important, we'll tell everyone later."  
Spike stood. "I guess I'm excused, too. Faith, you want to share a nightcap?"  
"Ain't exactly night, but I don't usually turn down a drink." She said. They walked up stairs, stopping just outside of Spike's room on the fourth floor. She turned to say something, and he pushed her against the wall, kissing her hard. He wasn't the first vampire she'd kissed, so the slightly cool feel of his lips on hers didn't surprise her, but she wasn't prepared for the jolt of feeling. She shoved him away. "What the hell was that?"  
"If you have to ask, I didn't do it right." He said with a touch of swagger, leaning in to her again.  
"I'm not Buffy." She said softly.  
He pulled back as if slapped. "I didn't think you were."  
"Well, good, because I don't want there to be any confusion."  
"What are you talking about?"  
Agitated, she ran her fingers through her hair. She slid down the wall, sitting on the floor with her knees pulled up to her chest. Spike sat down next to her, looking at her expectantly. "It's just that I know you've got the big love for her, and I don't want you thinking any Slayer will do in a pinch."  
"Faith." He said, slightly reproachful. He turned her face toward him. "I'm not confused. I may have loved Buffy, but she didn't feel the same, so there was no big love. I'm not going to lie and tell you I'm in love with you – I've said that too much, my whole life, without really knowing what it means. But I feel something."  
She turned away. "And at one time, that would have been enough. But I'm not the same person I used to be. Two years ago, I would have given you a jump in a second. But all these girls, looking up to me – I never had that. It made me want to be someone they should look up to."  
"Is this about the lil' bit? I'm not about to tell her."  
She stood, sure now. "No. It's about me. I'm not saying never...I'm saying not yet." 


	8. Questions Asked

She woke up to the sound of Connor and Angel talking earnestly, in low voices. She didn't want to interrupt, so she held as still as possible, even as she became aware that her leg was tucked behind her at an uncomfortable angle. Her breathing must have changed, though, or she must have shifted slightly, because both heads turned toward her, Angel stopping in mid-sentence. Reluctantly, she sat up, adjusting her shirt and rubbing her eyes. "Don't stop because of me." She said. She stretched, groaning as she pulled her back muscles taunt. She made a mental note never to sleep on this couch again, then frowned, noticing they were both still staring at her. "Is this a top secret meeting?" she asked self consciously.  
"No." Connor said firmly. "Angel was just about to tell me about my mother."  
Caitlin looked from one man to the other. "Uh. Alright."  
Angel sighed. "I don't really know how this will help, Connor. You know I killed Darla in Sunnydale."  
"Right. So first, how did she come back?"  
"Wolfram and Hart brought her back. She was part of some plan they had to get to me."  
At the mention of the law firm, Connor met Caitlin's startled, wide eyes. Out of nowhere, he noted that they were green. He cleared his throat. "How? How did they bring her back? I'm guessing it isn't like ordering a pizza."  
"There was a ritual. Five vampire sacrifices, some latin, a really ugly demon. It was on the scroll with the prophesies of Aberjian."  
Caitlin thought about what Connor had said earlier – how far had Wolfram and Hart gone? How far would they still go? And she couldn't believe how casually Angel said everything, like, 'Oh, of course Wolfram and Hart were involved in every major aspect of my life the past few years. Think nothing of it. I don't.' The thing was, he probably didn't. She was starting to understand what Connor meant when he said maybe Angel was too close to the situation to see it clearly. They'd been researching the Senior Partners for almost a month and this was the first she'd heard of their connection to Darla, and through her to Connor. "Wait." She said suddenly. "Are these the same prophesies that say the vampire with a soul will play a pivotal role in the apocalypse?"  
"I don't know." Angel said. "I don't believe anyone at Wolfram and Hart ever said the name of that prophesy, and Wes never found it. Of course, he never finished translating the scroll. There were over a dozen languages on it, not all of them human."  
"How did Wes get the scroll?" Connor asked.  
"I stole it from Wolfram and Hart."  
"Then how did they use it to raise Darla?" Caitlin asked, trying to keep up.  
"They stole it back."  
Connor was scribbling notes furiously. He drew a line connecting something, then looked up. "Where is it now?"  
"Last I saw, the Black Thorn had it. But Wes had access to some of the translation when we were at Wolfram and Hart."  
"Do you remember what else was on it?"  
"The prophesy about the three blind kids, who I saved. And a ritual we used to heal Cordelia." He trailed off. "Uh – the Shanshu prophesy came from that scroll too."  
They'd already been filled in on that detail, thanks to Spike. Connor wrote 'Shanshu' in his notes and circled it twice. "So Darla is back."  
"When she was turned the first time, she had been dying. When she returned as human, she was still dying. She asked me to help her, to change her, but I couldn't. I tried to save her another way, but even though I passed the trials the Powers That Be wouldn't give her another chance."  
"So how'd she get to be a vampire again?"  
"Wolfram and Hart brought in an old friend – Drusilla." 


	9. Questions Answered

Both Caitlin and Connor barely heard Angel as he continued, trying to absorb what he had said about Wolfram and Hart and Drusilla. It was too big of a coincidence that she was here, now, after Angel had hurt her old buddies. Caitlin held a hand up as something else Angel had said penetrated. "Hold on. Connor, did you write that down, about the trials, the second chance?"  
"No – Angel said he failed."  
She looked to Angel for confirmation. "Because Darla was living it, right?"  
He nodded. "Yeah."  
"Don't you guys get it? The Powers still owed Angel a new life. They couldn't deliver it for Darla, but maybe..."  
Realization dawned on Connor. "Maybe they could deliver it through Darla. In the form of me." He finished.  
"We'll ask Giles, but if that's what happened, that's two of our questions answered. Maybe three, if Wolfram and Hart is why Drusilla is back."  
Angel looked confused. "Questions? Like what?"  
Connor looked at him. "We were talking and I remembered something my fath- Holtz taught me. He always said, know your enemy. I think that's the key to beating the Senior Partners. We have to figure out what their plan was. So we made a list of everything that happened that was odd – where we don't know how it happened."  
"I thought you said you remembered everything."  
"Not details. It's real general, like a dream. But if I try, I can remember more. And sometimes, I'll have a flash where a bunch of memories come back. That's what happened with my memories of Quor-toth."  
Caitlin hated to interrupt, but she was really starting to hate only having part of the story. "Quor – what?"  
"When I was a baby, I was taken to a demon dimension and raised by –"  
"Holtz. The vampire hunter. See, I'm catching up."  
"What's left on the list?" Angel asked.  
"How you returned from Hell after Buffy killed you. How Spike came back."  
"Lindsay. Evil ex-lawyer who wanted to get into the Black Thorn."  
"Okay, that's one more down. I guess that one isn't really important, then. The last one is Cordelia. I remember, the summer you ... were gone, um, she was a higher power. But then she came back under the control of something."  
"Yeah – Jasmine."  
At the name, Connor's face drained of all color. Angel and Caitlin both stood, not sure how to help him. Connor's eyes went blank, like he was looking inward. He inhaled in a harsh gasp and the light returned to his eyes, but he was different. He looked more vunerable, scarred. The change from the happy boy Caitlin was so used to was astonishing. He stood, back out the door. Angel tried to touch his arm, but he jerked away. "I – no. I can't. Just – I have to go." He stammered, then turned and ran.  
"What the hell was that?" Caitlin demanded. "Should we go after him?"  
"He...God, he's going to need some time."  
"What was it? What did he remember?"  
"Sit down." Angel said tiredly. "I think there's one more story you need to hear." 


	10. Sharing

When Caitlin went looking for Connor, she didn't have to look hard to find him. He'd gone out to the courtyard and sat in a patch of grass directly in the sun at least ten feet from any shade. She smiled wistfully, imagining what could have been – a four year old with the same shaggy brown locks and cubby cheeks, stomping out into the sun because his vampire father wouldn't let him watch his favorite show or some other problem little kids have. Angel would watch to make sure the boy didn't go to far, then let him have his space, sending one of his friends out to get him if he was gone too long. Maybe Fred. She tried to picture the other girl as she must have been, before the blue hair and icicle eyes.  
But he wasn't four and no one had denied him his favorite treat, she reminded herself. She could respect his need for space to sort things out, make room in his head for the new and not-so-great images, but someone had to make sure that when he was adding two plus two, he got four. So she went out and sat across from him in the grass. She waited to see if he would speak first.  
"I started to run." He said. "I got a few blocks away and realized I have no where to go. I can't go back to my parents. Jesus, if they had any idea..." He shuddered. "Just like that, it all came back. At least I hope that's it. I don't think I can take much more. But I remembered everything about me and Cordelia, about Jasmine, right up until Angel stabbed me with a hunting knife."  
At least they were on the same page now, she thought. It's what he'd wanted – no more secrets. Still, the whole time Angel had spoken about the events that had led up to Connor's new life and Angel's job at Wolfram and Hart, she'd felt like she was invading his privacy or something. She figured if she returned the favor, maybe he'd see that he could deal. She couldn't look at him as she spoke, though.  
She began shredding a fallen leaf. "You're the same person you were two hours ago. I don't know much about people – you're the one taking psychology, and I haven't been to school since eighth grade, but I don't think people change because of stuff that happens to them. I think they change because of how they deal with the stuff that happens. Does that make sense?" She asked, risking a glance. He nodded.  
"I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone else. My cousin probably has some idea, but I don't think even he knows it all." She studied her hands, willing herself to spit it out. "My father is a drunk and a pervert. You can probably figure out what that meant for his only daughter. My brothers were stupid and sadistic. I hid, most of the time, but if they found me, they pretty much tortured me. I tried to tell my mother once, but she twisted my arm so hard while she was telling me not to make stuff up that she broke it. Still, I probably would have stayed there in that house until I left for college or got married or one of them managed to kill me. That's the kind of person I was. I didn't think it was my fault, I just thought there wasn't anything I could do. Except, when I was thirteen, my dad lost his job. He made my brothers get jobs. He pawned the tv. He sold the stereo. And when we ran out of stuff in the house, he sold the only thing left that was worth anything. Me."  
Her heart was pounding. She wanted to go, to run, anything but finish. Then she thought about what Angel had told her, about the people in the hardware store wired up to bombs, about the demise of Jasmine. Guilt was a funny thing. If you could tell someone else what you had done, and they didn't look at you like a bug that needed to be squashed, it eased a bit. Not a lot, but enough so you could live with yourself. Faith had told her that.  
"You probably think that's when I ran away. That I somehow found out and got away before anything happened, or I overpowered my dad's best friend, a guy I had called uncle my whole life. You'd be wrong. I didn't get away the first time, or the second. It took until the third time for me to wake up, realize what my life was doing to me. That's when I ran. I came to LA, and stayed in some dumps, but I was safe, for a while. The rest is a whole different story." She closed her eyes, bracing herself before she looked up. She was perversely satisfied at the shock she saw in his eyes. Good. At least he wasn't feeling sorry for himself. "My point is this – I had two parents who did there best to hurt me. You've had how many parents now? And every one of them only wanted the best for you. So don't you dare turn your back on them now. You owe it to them to figure out how to deal with what happened so it doesn't change you."  
He looked at her for so long she started to think he hadn't heard a word she said. Finally, he stood. "I get what you're saying. And thanks, for trusting me enough to tell me what happened to you. I just – I need some time."  
"Fine." She said. "Just don't take too long. You're the biggest brain we've got." She watched him walk away, back into the hotel. Just behind her, she heard leaves crunch. Reflexively, her head whipped around, only to find that it was Angel, lurking in the shadows. 


	11. The Ant

It was late afternoon when everyone, even Illyria, gathered at the desk behind the counter. Connor had claimed it as his, setting up his laptop and organizing his notes into neat piles only he understood. Now he sat on the edge of the desk, briefing the group on what he was working on. He managed to speak without meeting Angel or Caitlin's eyes. "So," he said as he began to summarize. "We've got some new areas to research – the prophesy, the trials. And we have three main mysteries remaining. What brought Angel back? How did Cordelia become a Power, or the pawn of a power? And why is Drusilla here, now? She said an ant told her to come, but-"  
"I'm a bloody idiot!" Spike exclaimed.  
"We know, Spike." Angel said "Go on-"  
"No, you're an idiot, too. Angel, don't you remember? Ant? The barrister in London?"  
"Barrister?" Connor asked. "That's a lawyer, right?"  
"One and the same. Right after I was turned, Angelus wiped out a convent, killed the whole lot, then took a notion to buy the bloomin' building so we'd have a headquarters. So Drusilla finds a barrister who doesn't mind night meetings. The deal fell through, mostly because Angelus found a convent he liked better, but Dru took a liking to the man and made him a vampire. His name was Anthony, but Dru always called him – "  
"Ant." Angel finished. "She said he carried all the sweets from the picnic and buried them for the Queen."  
"I don't get how you two thought that crazy talk was hot." Faith observed.  
"It's usually only half crazy." Spike explained with a small smile. "Dru can see things, but she has some issues about her sight. Probably because back when she was human, somebody told her it was the devil inside. I wonder who that might have been."  
"Enough of the lighthearted nostalgia." Caitlin said. "What does a lawyer vamp from over a hundred years ago have to do with us?"  
"If he worked for Wolfram and Hart as a human, he'd still be working for them because of the perpetuity clause." Angel explained.  
"I knew it!" Faith said. "She's probably holed up at Wolfram and Hart right now. I say we mount up."  
  
She sat behind Angel's desk in the ruins of what had not too long ago been his office. She swayed a bit as she tried to get a feel for who he'd been, this ruler of the lawyers. Drusilla had strong feelings about most professions – she thought doctors, scientists, priests, teachers were all liars. Lawyers were the only honest ones in the bunch. Like her boy Ant.  
Had he been that nasty Angel-beast, using his power to protect people from his own kind? Or had he been Daddy, making friends with all the wonderful evil creatures who frequented a place like this?  
Suddenly she moaned, bouncing in her seat. Ant dropped what he had been working on in the adjoining conference room and rushed to her side. "Dru? Darling, what is it?"  
"Oh," she whimpered. "The rats are coming, but the Pied Piper has not yet played his flute."  
"I don't understand – there are rats?"  
She looked up, eyes unfocused. She swayed to the window. "I don't know. I can't hear the moon through this glass."  
"Dru, it's daytime."  
"Yes, but the moon calls it's child." She straightened, suddenly lucid. "Rats – it's Spike. And Daddy. They're coming, but not to play. All is not lost, though. They've left my baby brother behind."  
Anthony's blue eyes sharpened. "Connor? You believe they all left and the boy is alone?"  
"Isn't it grand? I feel as though I'm about to get a present!"  
"Only if you hurry darling. If you still want the boy, we have to more fast." 


	12. Rescue

Despite his supernatural vampire hearing, Connor didn't hear Drusilla come up behind him until she was already bringing something large and heavy down on his head. Just before he passed out, he noticed a young looking man in an old fashioned suit studying his nails.  
  
When he woke he was being dragged through the sewers. If there are truly Powers up there, he thought, they owed him. If ever it were possible for Caitlin to get a vision on demand, now would be the time. For the first time in his life, he tried to pray, but not knowing who or what to pray to, he failed. He knew it was childish, but he clung to the thought that if anyone could save him, it would be his father.  
Grunting, Ant released his hold on the boy. "Drusilla, I am not going to haul him around the city. We're far enough. If you wish to change him, now is the opportune time."  
She turned. "Rats can do more than hear."  
"Right. Look, I have a conference call in an hour with some very important clients. Let's get on with this."  
She sent him a dark look. "You can not rush these things." She walked over to him and held out her hand. "Come, rise. This is a very special occasion, little brother."  
He stood, ignoring her hand. "I'm not your brother."  
"Hush. I shall make you one of us, and you will be strong."  
"I'm already strong." Connor said, slamming his fist into her jaw. She reeled back, landing against a wall. Funny, he thought. Since his memories had returned completely, he'd been dreading any more violence, but hitting the vampire had felt good. It felt right.  
Anthony clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "Maybe." He drew a pistol from a holster inside his jacket. "But soon you'll just be dead."

* * *

Pain exploded behind Caitlin's eyes without any warning. She blinked rapidly, trying to figure out what had happened. It wasn't a vision – usually the pain from a vision came after it hit, and in the back of her head. Also, it was more of a bad ache. This was very different. Suddenly, something became very clear. She touched Angel's shoulder. "Turn the car around, now." She ordered.  
"Did you have a vision?" Faith asked.  
Angel was shaking his head. "No, Dru-"  
"She has Connor!" Caitlin said, the pain making her short tempered. "I don't understand how I know, but she has him."  
He didn't need to hear anymore. He spun the steering wheel, whipping the car around in a u-turn. "Where?"  
"I'm sure he can handle her." Spike noted.  
"No," Caitlin said. "There's – I don't know, but he's in trouble." She closed her eyes trying to make sense of the jumbled thoughts in her head. "Sewers. Ten blocks east of the hotel."  
Illyria blinked. "This conveyence is too slow."  


* * *

"Ant, my sweet, I can't change him if you kill him."  
"Dru, I'm sorry, but I have orders from my superiors. He is to be terminated immediately, pursuant to the contract his father signed."  
Drusilla glowered from beneath hooded eyes. "You would take away my fun because they told you to."  
"I'm sorry, but if the boy can overpower you-"He grunted as Drusilla dove at him, knocking him into a puddle. She reared up and punched him.  
Connor missed what she did next to him, distracted by Angel dropping into the sewer a few feet away, followed by Faith and Spike. Angel moved to Connor's side, scanning the tunnel for possible weapons and hidden enemies. "You alright?"  
"Yeah. The guy – he has a gun."  
"Not really a problem for me."  
Spike pulled Drusilla off the other vampire. "Hello, lover. Let's chat." 


	13. Resolution

Caitlin tried to get out of the car but Illyria pushed her back. "Ow!" Caitlin said. "Take it easy, will you?"  
"Angel said you must wait here."  
"Since when do you follow orders?"  
"I have chosen to follow Angel until I understand more about this time and my own limitations. If I agree with his commands."  
"That's, uh, very comforting."

* * *

Still feeding off rage at what she perceived as a betrayal by her darling Ant, Drusilla hit Spike twice, then, in a move only a woman would even consider, drove her knee into his groin. He dropped, moaning. She advanced, but was whipped back when Faith grabbed her by the hair. Faith wrapped her fist in the black curls and raised her stake.  
Meanwhile, Angel pulled Ant up by the front of his shirt. "Anthony."  
"Angelus!" The lawyer said cheerfully, though his feet dangled above the ground. "It's been a long time."  
"Sorry I can't say I've missed you. Still practicing law?"  
"Oh, I wouldn't say I'm practicing. By the by, the senior partners have asked me to pass along a message. You're fired. Spike, as well, but he seems a little, well, distracted at the moment, so I'll have to tell him later."  
"Yeah? I have a message for the senior partners for you to pass along too." With that, he threw the vampire against a pile of broken pallets, grabbed one of the jagged boards nearby and dusted the demon.  
"How is he going to pass along that message?" Connor asked.  
"Perpetuity clause." Angel said with a sigh. "The only way you lose a job with Wolfram and Hart is if they choose to let you go."  
Spike pulled himself up. "Wait, Faith." He took the stake from her.  
Drusilla looked up at him with a wide eyed, innocent expression. "Spike, my love, you don't want to do this."  
"Actually, I really do."  
"The last time you pressed a stake to my chest you were trying to impress the Slayer. Still trying to be a good little puppy?"  
He met Faith's eyes. "This isn't about the Slayer. It's about me." Without breaking eye contact, he used the sharp wood to penetrate Dru's heart. Faith thought it was a little weird, but her own heart felt a little warm at the moment.

* * *

Angel helped Connor out of the sewer. Connor straightened and brushed off his pants. "Not that I'm not grateful, but how did you guys find me?"  
Angel inclined his head toward Caitlin.  
"A vision?" Connor asked her.  
"No. I just...just kind of knew."  
"Like, psychically?"  
She shrugged. "I guess."  
"Has that ever happened before?"  
"No."  
"Do you think you could do it again?"  
She frowned, glancing around her. In the time since she'd first met Buffy and the other Slayers, she'd never been unique in her abilities. Yeah, Buffy was like a Super-Slayer, and Faith, too, but when she was with all of the other girls, Caitlin had never been anything special. When the visions had appeared, she'd been uncomfortable, but no one knew except for Giles. When everyone did know, well, she still wasn't the first, with both Doyle and Cordelia before her. This was different, though. The way they were looking at her was making her want to squirm. If what had happened wasn't just a fluke, or she found out she could control it, she'd be alone. "I – I don't know." She said finally. "Maybe, in a little while. I've got a bit of a headache."  
They all climbed into the car. "So," Spike said as they headed for home. "Did I hear the little bugger right? I'm fired?" 


	14. Another Old Friend

Caitlin stopped dead in the doorway. "Does everyone else see the green demon with horns and a purple jacket? If not, I'm gonna need a nap and some tranquilizers."  
Faith looked over her shoulder. "Oh, he's real. I was wondering what happened to you." She told the demon.  
Angel kept walking toward Connor's desk. "I thought you were gone." He glanced back at Caitlin. "He's okay. He's family."  
"Where was I going to go, Angel-cakes? Detroit?" The demon smiled easily. "I tried Vegas, remember? Besides," he added, "It seems our friends at Wolfram and Hart don't want me walking about."  
Angel looked at him now. "They sent someone after you? How did you get away?"  
"Long story. He cut my head off – that was fun – and then some kids found it, and when they stopped screaming, they put me back together." He turned to the young slayer, who was still standing there, mouth hanging open. "How you doing? I'm Lorne."  
"I, um, I'm Caitlin Harris."  
"You guys have something in common." Connor told her. "Lorne can read people's futures when they sing."  
That got Caitlin's attention. "Last time I checked, I couldn't do that."  
Connor grinned. "You don't really know what you can do, right?" He turned to Lorne. "Caitie's got the visions. Plus, she may be psychic."  
"I never said I was psychic."  
"Well, you won't know until you try. Go ahead."  
She took a deep breath and waited. The problem was she didn't know how exactly the information had come to her before. The minutes dragged on, and finally she exhaled loudly. "I can't."  
Lorne gestured to the couch in the center of the lobby. "You have to relax. Try to clear your mind, and just concentrate. If you are getting visions, you are already set on the right wavelength to receive. Everyone puts out signals. You just have to learn to pick up on them."  
She closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. She didn't know how a person went about clearing their mind, but she did the best she could. She was about to give up when it hit her like a brick. A mis-mash of thought, pieces of memories, none of which originated from her. She tried to sort through the cacophony in her head. She knew they'd expect her to have something to report, but she couldn't pick out any one fact. It seemed like it was growing, flooding her faster and faster. She felt pain, both physical and emotional, anger, love, hate, the sensation of metal through skin. She heard the sound of screams, saw faces – demons, monsters, humans. Some of the humans she knew, some she understood were long dead. She smelled and tasted blood – acrimonious, warm in her mouth, thick and metallic. Her eyes flew open and she heard herself shouting, "No!" Just like that, most of the sensation dissipated, though she could still remember.  
"What did you see?" Connor asked.  
She looked at Lorne. A few minutes ago, she'd been wary of him but now she felt like he was her lifeline. He was the only one who could possibly understand. "It's too much." She said hoarsely.  
He did understand, immediately. "I'm sorry. I should have realized that here are too many people around, each sending out their own signals. You don't have enough experience yet to only open yourself up to some of it. If you try again, wait until you're alone."  
"Next time," she said, taking a deep breath. "Will you be with me? Just you and me?"  
"If you want, princess."  
Her voice shook a little. "I think I really do."  
"Can you tell us anything?" Connor said.  
She looked at him. "I – look, you want to know what I saw? Can't you just trust me that I saw something?"  
He shrugged. "I'm just curious."  
"Just curious?" Her voice rose a little. "Okay. When you were twelve you killed a beast that had four arms, but not before it bit you first. You bled for a mile until you got home." She turned to Faith. "Are you just curious too? You saw your first Watcher die, and you ran. Spike, you killed a Slayer. You drank from her, and you liked it. Illyria, you ordered an army of demons to slaughter a human village because the sound of their children playing irritated you. Angel – "She broke off. "Just take my word for it, guys." She turned and fled, taking the stairs two at a time. Her mind raced wildly. She sat down heavily on her bed and let herself do something she hadn't done for years. She cried.

* * *

Thanks to anyone who said they liked my stories. Originally, I just wanted to see if I could write something decent, but then I got a million ideas, so I'm just going to see how it plays out. Think of it as Season 6, sort of. It's not supposed to be all about Caitlin, so, sorry. I promise I'll try to do better. She just needed some back story and personality developed. If you think it's a shout-out, it probably is. And lastly, on the subject of romantic entanglements, I haven't really decided for sure on any couple. I will say I'm a big hater of a certain type of pairing, so don't expect to read about Spike and Angel making out. Sorry. (The only exception to this rule was Lindsay, 'cause he totally loved Angel, but sadly, he's dead. Again, sorry.) In the next installment.....The gang continues to sort through the actions of the Senior Partners. They have a big question, and there's only one guy who knows the answer...Angelus. 


End file.
